Common problems
- Rumbling or popping from the tank
- Rusty or smelly hot water
- No hot water
Services
- Tank water heater repair
- Tankless water heater service
- Water heater replacement
Safety first: If the tank is leaking heavily, shut off the cold water supply to the heater and turn off its power or gas.
Get connected
Online requests are coming soon. For now, Call 1-844-31-HOME-5(844) 314-6635 and we will connect you with an independent local company.
What usually goes wrong
Here is what Providence callers mention most:
- Rumbling or popping from the tank
- Rusty or smelly hot water
- No hot water
Know your Providence house
Washington Park and South Providence sit close to the port and I-95, with many two- and three-family homes on narrow lots. Wayland and Blackstone on the East Side have larger early-1900s homes, many with original plaster walls and older wiring hidden behind them.
College Hill, home to Brown University and RISD, packs older homes and student rentals onto steep streets where parking a service van takes some planning. In older multi-family buildings, each unit may have its own small tank in a crowded basement, or a single boiler may make hot water for everyone through an indirect tank or tankless coil.
In multi-unit buildings around Federal Hill and Washington Park, separate tanks for each unit often sit side by side in the basement. Label yours so the tech works on the right one. Mount Pleasant and Elmhurst on the north side are largely single-family and two-family homes on small lots, many built in the first half of the 1900s.
Utilities, permits and licensing
Gas water heaters in Providence run on Rhode Island Energy gas service. If you smell gas near the tank, leave and call Rhode Island Energy or 911 from outside. Replacing a water heater generally needs a permit from the city's Department of Inspection and Standards, and the work falls to licensed plumbers or gas fitters.
What happens after you call
- Share your ZIP code and what you are seeing.
- We pass your request to an independent water heater specialist who covers Providence.
- The two of you settle on a time and a price, or you walk away.
What to have ready
Note the size, fuel type, brand and age of your water heater. The age is often printed in the serial number on the label.
Questions from Providence residents
Who replaces the water heater in a rental?
Usually the landlord. Tenants should report the problem in writing and let the owner arrange the repair.
My water heater is leaking. What do I do first?
Turn off the cold water valve on top of the tank and shut off the gas or the breaker. If water is spreading, call for help right away.
Do contractors need a permit in Providence?
Many jobs do, including most electrical, plumbing, heating and roofing work. Permits are issued by the city's Department of Inspection and Standards. The licensed pro doing the work usually pulls them.
Which parts of Providence can you help with?
We look for independent pros across Providence, including Federal Hill, Fox Point, College Hill and Elmhurst, and ZIP codes 02903, 02904, 02905, 02906, 02907 and others. Coverage depends on which pros are available that day, so we will tell you right away if we cannot find someone.
Living in Providence means dealing with old houses, New England weather and busy schedules. We try to make finding help one less thing to chase.
Service area
Serving about a 50-mile radius from Providence, depending on which independent pros are available. ZIPs: 02903, 02904, 02905, 02906, 02907, 02908, 02909, 02912, 02918
East ProvidencePawtucketCentral FallsCranstonWarwickAttleboroNorth AttleboroughWoonsocketTauntonFall RiverFranklinNewportBridgewaterBrocktonNew BedfordRandolphFraminghamBraintreeSouthbridgeWeymouthWorcesterNewtonQuincyMarlboroughNorwichWatertownWalthamBostonCambridgeSomerville
Other services in Providence
Appliance RepairElectricalGarage DoorHeating & CoolingLocksmithPest ControlPlumbingRoofing
A quick word about us: VendorReach only makes introductions. Your request goes to an independent water heater specialist, and that company decides its own prices and is responsible for its work. Get the details in writing if that makes you more comfortable.